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JBO: Joystiq Box Office, December 14 - December 18, plus Joyswag!
by Kevin Kelly 
{ Dec 18th 2009 at 9:15PM } 
Welcome to Joystiq's "Naughty or Nice" holiday giveaway extravaganza! It's simple: Just follow the instructions below to enter for your chance to win. Ah, but to win what? There's always a catch, isn't there? Each "Naughty or Nice" giveaway features two prizes: a totally sweet bundle of holiday cheer and, um, a lump of coal. Winners are selected randomly, we assure you. Of course, who's to say luck isn't dependent on virtue ... Have you been naughty? Or nice?
With the holidays in mind, we're going to be giving away ... wait for it ... MOVIES with each Joystiq Box Office post on Friday from today through January 1! Simply leave a comment below telling us what you'll be watching on your Xbox, PS3, PC, PSP, DS, OMG or whatever (whether it be naughty or nice) and we'll pick winners at random each week to receive a nifty prize. This week we're joining the rest of Joyswag and going Naughty or Nice. Five "Nice" winners will win a copy of District 9 on Blu-ray, which includes the God of War III demo, and one "Naughty" winner will wind up with a copy of the American Godzilla on Blu-ray.
Recommendation of the Week:
Inglourious Basterds (Blu-ray, $39.95 suggested retail)
If you haven't already seen this film, then you owe it to yourself to check it out in high definition. This is definitely Tarantino's most mature film to date, and despite numerous trailers out there, it's not a gory, Nazi slaughter-fest. There is some violence, to be sure, but I've talked to people who avoided this in theaters because they thought it was going to be torture porn. There's an extremely good film in here, and what's really compelling is that it's nearly two movies in one. The story of the Basterds and the story of a woman who owns a theater run separate courses throughout the film until a head-on collision at the end, but they stand on their own very well. Extremely crisp and sharp in HD and filled with extras, including the bizarre but hilarious "Quentin Tarantino's Camera Angel," this is a must-see, must-own, must-covet title.
Read on for the rest of the recommendations, and as usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
With the holidays in mind, we're going to be giving away ... wait for it ... MOVIES with each Joystiq Box Office post on Friday from today through January 1! Simply leave a comment below telling us what you'll be watching on your Xbox, PS3, PC, PSP, DS, OMG or whatever (whether it be naughty or nice) and we'll pick winners at random each week to receive a nifty prize. This week we're joining the rest of Joyswag and going Naughty or Nice. Five "Nice" winners will win a copy of District 9 on Blu-ray, which includes the God of War III demo, and one "Naughty" winner will wind up with a copy of the American Godzilla on Blu-ray.
Recommendation of the Week:
Inglourious Basterds (Blu-ray, $39.95 suggested retail)If you haven't already seen this film, then you owe it to yourself to check it out in high definition. This is definitely Tarantino's most mature film to date, and despite numerous trailers out there, it's not a gory, Nazi slaughter-fest. There is some violence, to be sure, but I've talked to people who avoided this in theaters because they thought it was going to be torture porn. There's an extremely good film in here, and what's really compelling is that it's nearly two movies in one. The story of the Basterds and the story of a woman who owns a theater run separate courses throughout the film until a head-on collision at the end, but they stand on their own very well. Extremely crisp and sharp in HD and filled with extras, including the bizarre but hilarious "Quentin Tarantino's Camera Angel," this is a must-see, must-own, must-covet title.
Read on for the rest of the recommendations, and as usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
JBO: Joystiq Box Office, December 7 - December 11, plus Joyswag!
by Kevin Kelly { Dec 11th 2009 at 9:30PM } 
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
With the holidays in mind, we're going to be giving away ... wait for it ... MOVIES with each Joystiq Box Office post on Friday from today through January 1! Simply leave a comment below telling us what you'll be watching on your Xbox, PS3, PC, PSP, DS, OMG or whatever, and we'll pick two winners at random each week to receive a nifty prize. This week we'll be giving away one copy of Disney/Pixar's amazing Up and one copy of the romantic comedy The Ugly Truth. Now before you cringe in terror over a Katherine Heigl / Gerard Butler romcom, consider this: It'll make your movie collection look sensitive. Both movies come with an additional digital copy that you can stick on your computer, your PSP, your iPod, what have you. Read the complete rules at the end of this post, and good luck!
Recommendation of the Week:
The Mel Brooks Collection (Blu-ray, $139.99 suggested retail)
I can't recommend this set highly enough. First of all, it includes nine Mel Brooks films: Twelve Chairs, To Be Or Not To Be, Silent Movie, History of the World: Part 1, High Anxiety, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, many of which are making their Blu-ray debut. Second, it includes a ton of extra features: just the Young Frankenstein disc alone is loaded with tons of fun stuff, including a "Blücher Button" for instant horse whinnying sounds. Third, it's packaged in a long case containing an artbook about all about Mel Brooks and his movies called "All About Mel Brooks." Fourth, it's Mel Brooks, and you need a few laughs in high definition. Amazon has this right now for $92.99, whittling it down to almost ten bucks a movie. You won't be sorry.
Read on for the rest of the recommendations, and as usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
With the holidays in mind, we're going to be giving away ... wait for it ... MOVIES with each Joystiq Box Office post on Friday from today through January 1! Simply leave a comment below telling us what you'll be watching on your Xbox, PS3, PC, PSP, DS, OMG or whatever, and we'll pick two winners at random each week to receive a nifty prize. This week we'll be giving away one copy of Disney/Pixar's amazing Up and one copy of the romantic comedy The Ugly Truth. Now before you cringe in terror over a Katherine Heigl / Gerard Butler romcom, consider this: It'll make your movie collection look sensitive. Both movies come with an additional digital copy that you can stick on your computer, your PSP, your iPod, what have you. Read the complete rules at the end of this post, and good luck!
Recommendation of the Week:
The Mel Brooks Collection (Blu-ray, $139.99 suggested retail)I can't recommend this set highly enough. First of all, it includes nine Mel Brooks films: Twelve Chairs, To Be Or Not To Be, Silent Movie, History of the World: Part 1, High Anxiety, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, many of which are making their Blu-ray debut. Second, it includes a ton of extra features: just the Young Frankenstein disc alone is loaded with tons of fun stuff, including a "Blücher Button" for instant horse whinnying sounds. Third, it's packaged in a long case containing an artbook about all about Mel Brooks and his movies called "All About Mel Brooks." Fourth, it's Mel Brooks, and you need a few laughs in high definition. Amazon has this right now for $92.99, whittling it down to almost ten bucks a movie. You won't be sorry.
Read on for the rest of the recommendations, and as usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
JBO: Joystiq Box Office, November 30 - December 4
by Kevin Kelly { Dec 4th 2009 at 9:00PM }
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
Recommendation of the Week:
Star Trek: The Original Series (Blu-ray, all three seasons, prices vary)
All three seasons of Star Trek: The Original Series will be available as of December 15, which is when Season Three comes out. Besides the awesome bloopers and flubs, it also has the entire unaired original Trek pilot in the set. Bizarrely, this was the original opening monologue: "Enterprise log, Captain James Kirk commanding. We are leaving that vast cloud of stars and planets which we call our galaxy. Behind us, Earth, Mars, Venus, even our sun are specks of dust. A question: What is out there in the black void beyond? Until now, our mission has been that of space law regulation, contact with Earth colonies and investigation of alien life. But now, a new task. A probe out into where no man has gone before." Seems like a good thing they changed it. "A probe out into" is a bit much. Trek has never, ever looked or sounded (there's a new 7.1 mix!) better, and you can pick this up in a box set, or get the individual seasons. Beam us up.
Read on for the rest of the recommendations, and as usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
Recommendation of the Week:
Star Trek: The Original Series (Blu-ray, all three seasons, prices vary)All three seasons of Star Trek: The Original Series will be available as of December 15, which is when Season Three comes out. Besides the awesome bloopers and flubs, it also has the entire unaired original Trek pilot in the set. Bizarrely, this was the original opening monologue: "Enterprise log, Captain James Kirk commanding. We are leaving that vast cloud of stars and planets which we call our galaxy. Behind us, Earth, Mars, Venus, even our sun are specks of dust. A question: What is out there in the black void beyond? Until now, our mission has been that of space law regulation, contact with Earth colonies and investigation of alien life. But now, a new task. A probe out into where no man has gone before." Seems like a good thing they changed it. "A probe out into" is a bit much. Trek has never, ever looked or sounded (there's a new 7.1 mix!) better, and you can pick this up in a box set, or get the individual seasons. Beam us up.
Read on for the rest of the recommendations, and as usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
JBO: Joystiq Box Office, November 23 - November 27
by Kevin Kelly { Nov 27th 2009 at 9:00PM }
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
Recommendation of the Week:
Food, Inc. (Xbox 360/Zune Video)
You cram food in your mouth every day, but do you ever really think about where it comes from? This is especially timely a day after the American holiday that's all about stuffing as much food as you possibly can down your gullet and surviving. Food, Inc. takes a hard look at the corporate food industry in America, and you'll be surprised how many different labels and brands are owned by so few companies. It'll make you think twice about buying food in the future, or even finishing what's already on your plate. Hopefully someone will make a documentary about Joel Salatin, a rancher in the film who you'll write off as a redneck at first glance, but who quickly becomes one of the sole voices of wisdom in the movie. This guy needs to take over the entire FDA.
Read on for the rest of the recommendations, and as usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
Recommendation of the Week:
Food, Inc. (Xbox 360/Zune Video)You cram food in your mouth every day, but do you ever really think about where it comes from? This is especially timely a day after the American holiday that's all about stuffing as much food as you possibly can down your gullet and surviving. Food, Inc. takes a hard look at the corporate food industry in America, and you'll be surprised how many different labels and brands are owned by so few companies. It'll make you think twice about buying food in the future, or even finishing what's already on your plate. Hopefully someone will make a documentary about Joel Salatin, a rancher in the film who you'll write off as a redneck at first glance, but who quickly becomes one of the sole voices of wisdom in the movie. This guy needs to take over the entire FDA.
Read on for the rest of the recommendations, and as usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
JBO: Joystiq Box Office, November 16 - November 20
by Kevin Kelly { Nov 20th 2009 at 9:15PM }
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
Recommendation of the Week:
North by Northwest: 50th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
It's been 50 years since Alfred Hitchcock's classic North by Northwest first appeared in theaters, and Warner Bros. has put together an amazing package that includes a new one hour documentary about Hitchcock called "The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style," and a new half-hour documentary about the film itself. It also carries over older extras like a documentary about Cary Grant, commentary and more. It's packaged in the Warner Blu-ray Book format that I loathed at first, but now love: No inserts or booklets to lose, and they look fantastic on a shelf. You've probably seen the iconic image of Cary Grant running in terror from a biplane, but never seen North by Northwest. For my money, it's his best film.
Read on for the rest of the recommendations, and as usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
Recommendation of the Week:
North by Northwest: 50th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)It's been 50 years since Alfred Hitchcock's classic North by Northwest first appeared in theaters, and Warner Bros. has put together an amazing package that includes a new one hour documentary about Hitchcock called "The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style," and a new half-hour documentary about the film itself. It also carries over older extras like a documentary about Cary Grant, commentary and more. It's packaged in the Warner Blu-ray Book format that I loathed at first, but now love: No inserts or booklets to lose, and they look fantastic on a shelf. You've probably seen the iconic image of Cary Grant running in terror from a biplane, but never seen North by Northwest. For my money, it's his best film.
Read on for the rest of the recommendations, and as usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
JBO: Joystiq Box Office, November 9 - November 13
by Kevin Kelly { Nov 13th 2009 at 8:35PM }
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
Recommendation of the Week:
The Office: Series One (Netflix Watch Instantly)
While everyone was quick to sneer at the American version of The Office on NBC and say "Oh, it's not as good as the original," that new show has gone a long way towards proving itself. However, they're right ... it's still not as good as the original. Now the entire British run of The Office is available on Netflix. If you haven't seen it yet, dive in here with the entire first series, then move on to Series Two and the Specials. Ricky Gervais hasn't struck box office gold yet in America (his movies Ghost Town and The Invention of Lying have fallen a bit flat), but The Office is more than good enough to make up for it.
Read on for the rest of the recommendations, and as usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
Recommendation of the Week:
The Office: Series One (Netflix Watch Instantly)While everyone was quick to sneer at the American version of The Office on NBC and say "Oh, it's not as good as the original," that new show has gone a long way towards proving itself. However, they're right ... it's still not as good as the original. Now the entire British run of The Office is available on Netflix. If you haven't seen it yet, dive in here with the entire first series, then move on to Series Two and the Specials. Ricky Gervais hasn't struck box office gold yet in America (his movies Ghost Town and The Invention of Lying have fallen a bit flat), but The Office is more than good enough to make up for it.
JBO: Joystiq Box Office, November 2 - November 6
by Kevin Kelly { Nov 6th 2009 at 8:30PM }
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
Recommendation of the Week:
The Shield: The Complete Series (DVD [What, no Blu-ray?] $159.95, lower at many retailers)
Vic Mackey isn't the first hardass cop to come down the line and smack miscreants into place, but he's definitely one of the most effective and most memorable. If you haven't had the pleasure of watching Michael Chiklis in The Shield, then this has your name all over it. If you have ... well, your name is still on it. It's the complete series, filled with extras, and packaged to look like a nifty coffee table book, embossed with a copy of the misaligned badge logo from the opening of the show. Forget everything else, this is hands down one of the best cop shows ever created, and it captures the underbelly of Los Angeles perfectly. Some people would argue that Los Angeles is all underbelly. Hopefully that means there's plenty of Mackey to go around.
As usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
Recommendation of the Week:
The Shield: The Complete Series (DVD [What, no Blu-ray?] $159.95, lower at many retailers)Vic Mackey isn't the first hardass cop to come down the line and smack miscreants into place, but he's definitely one of the most effective and most memorable. If you haven't had the pleasure of watching Michael Chiklis in The Shield, then this has your name all over it. If you have ... well, your name is still on it. It's the complete series, filled with extras, and packaged to look like a nifty coffee table book, embossed with a copy of the misaligned badge logo from the opening of the show. Forget everything else, this is hands down one of the best cop shows ever created, and it captures the underbelly of Los Angeles perfectly. Some people would argue that Los Angeles is all underbelly. Hopefully that means there's plenty of Mackey to go around.
JBO: Joystiq Box Office, October 26 - October 30, Horror Edition!
by Kevin Kelly { Oct 30th 2009 at 9:00PM }
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
Halloween looms right around the corner! In preparation for a spook-tacular weekend full of fun and frights, we present you with an all-horror edition of Joystiq Box Office. Although in all honesty, nothing tops Trick 'r Treat from a couple of weeks ago. You owe it to Halloween to check that out. Of course, being the geeks that we are, we'd also like to remind you that Battlestar Galactica: The Plan is now out on Blu-ray, DVD, PSN, and the Xbox Marketplace. It's not their best work, but hey ... it's more Battlestar Galactica!
Recommendation of the Week:
Monsturd (Netflix Watch Instantly)
Yes, this is seriously a movie. A fugitive on the run accidentally falls into a sewage tunnel, which is also where a chemical company has been dumping their toxic waste. As a result, he becomes Monsturd: half-man, half-poop. I kid you not. There have been poop monsters in movies before, like the transformed Chet in Weird Science and the Golgathan from Kevin Smith's Dogma, but nothing compares to Monsturd. It's actually not a bad send-up of the classic 50s frightfilms, and the tagline for the movie is "Don't get caught with your pants down!" How can you go wrong?
A lot of you have been asking about the pricing on certain Xbox releases. For instance Red Cliff is 800
($10) to rent in standard definition, as opposed to the normal rental price of 320 ($4) for SD. The reason for this is that it has not yet been released in theaters, and is exclusive to the Xbox 360, Amazon, and certain VOD outlets. The film actually opens on November 18, so the added price is for the benefit of seeing it early.
As usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
Halloween looms right around the corner! In preparation for a spook-tacular weekend full of fun and frights, we present you with an all-horror edition of Joystiq Box Office. Although in all honesty, nothing tops Trick 'r Treat from a couple of weeks ago. You owe it to Halloween to check that out. Of course, being the geeks that we are, we'd also like to remind you that Battlestar Galactica: The Plan is now out on Blu-ray, DVD, PSN, and the Xbox Marketplace. It's not their best work, but hey ... it's more Battlestar Galactica!
Recommendation of the Week:
Monsturd (Netflix Watch Instantly)Yes, this is seriously a movie. A fugitive on the run accidentally falls into a sewage tunnel, which is also where a chemical company has been dumping their toxic waste. As a result, he becomes Monsturd: half-man, half-poop. I kid you not. There have been poop monsters in movies before, like the transformed Chet in Weird Science and the Golgathan from Kevin Smith's Dogma, but nothing compares to Monsturd. It's actually not a bad send-up of the classic 50s frightfilms, and the tagline for the movie is "Don't get caught with your pants down!" How can you go wrong?
A lot of you have been asking about the pricing on certain Xbox releases. For instance Red Cliff is 800
($10) to rent in standard definition, as opposed to the normal rental price of 320 ($4) for SD. The reason for this is that it has not yet been released in theaters, and is exclusive to the Xbox 360, Amazon, and certain VOD outlets. The film actually opens on November 18, so the added price is for the benefit of seeing it early. JBO: Joystiq Box Office, October 19 - October 23
by Kevin Kelly { Oct 23rd 2009 at 8:30PM }
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
Recommendation of the Week:
Red Cliff (VOD, Amazon, and Xbox 360: 800 ($10) SD to rent)
John Woo is back! And thankfully this isn't the John Woo who directed Paycheck or Windtalkers. This is more like the Hard Boiled, Hard Target John Woo ... just on a massive scale. It's an epic film based on actual historic events and battles that took place in China around 208 AD. Chinese audiences were treated to a four hour long version that was split into two parts, and it has become the highest grossing film in Chinese history. American audience are getting a version that's been heavily edited down to 2.5 hours, but it is still well worth watching. Three epic battles, stealth, trickery, and martial arts action. Plus it reunited John Woo with actor Tony Leung who co-starred in Hard Boiled with Chow Yun-Fat. Don't balk at the running time, because it is worth every minute. Check out an exclusive clip of the movie over at Cinematical.
A lot of you have been asking about the pricing on certain Xbox releases. For instance Red Cliff is 800 ($10) to rent in standard definition, as opposed to the normal rental price of 320 ($4) for SD. The reason for this is that it has not yet been released in theaters, and is exclusive to the Xbox 360, Amazon, and certain VOD outlets. The film actually opens on November 18, so the added price is for the benefit of seeing it early.
As usual, we'll see you at the popcorn st -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
Recommendation of the Week:
Red Cliff (VOD, Amazon, and Xbox 360: 800 ($10) SD to rent)John Woo is back! And thankfully this isn't the John Woo who directed Paycheck or Windtalkers. This is more like the Hard Boiled, Hard Target John Woo ... just on a massive scale. It's an epic film based on actual historic events and battles that took place in China around 208 AD. Chinese audiences were treated to a four hour long version that was split into two parts, and it has become the highest grossing film in Chinese history. American audience are getting a version that's been heavily edited down to 2.5 hours, but it is still well worth watching. Three epic battles, stealth, trickery, and martial arts action. Plus it reunited John Woo with actor Tony Leung who co-starred in Hard Boiled with Chow Yun-Fat. Don't balk at the running time, because it is worth every minute. Check out an exclusive clip of the movie over at Cinematical.
A lot of you have been asking about the pricing on certain Xbox releases. For instance Red Cliff is 800
($10) to rent in standard definition, as opposed to the normal rental price of 320 ($4) for SD. The reason for this is that it has not yet been released in theaters, and is exclusive to the Xbox 360, Amazon, and certain VOD outlets. The film actually opens on November 18, so the added price is for the benefit of seeing it early. JBO: Joystiq Box Office, October 12 - October 16
by Kevin Kelly { Oct 16th 2009 at 10:30PM }
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
Recommendation of the Week:
Black Dynamite (In actual theaters -- get out of the house and treat yourself!)
Remember Michael Jai White? The dude played Spawn in the forgettable movie, and was seen without makeup or a mask as Gambol in The Dark Knight. However, you've never seen him as a jive-talkin', nunchuck-swingin', butt kickin', fro-wearin' guy who gets results. From the website: "When 'The Man' murders his brother, pumps heroin into local orphanages, and floods the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor, Black Dynamite is the one hero willing to fight all the way from the blood-soaked city streets to the hallowed halls of the Honky House." You owe it to yourself to see an amazing return to blaxploitation.
As usual, we'll see you at the popcorn st -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
Recommendation of the Week:
Black Dynamite (In actual theaters -- get out of the house and treat yourself!)Remember Michael Jai White? The dude played Spawn in the forgettable movie, and was seen without makeup or a mask as Gambol in The Dark Knight. However, you've never seen him as a jive-talkin', nunchuck-swingin', butt kickin', fro-wearin' guy who gets results. From the website: "When 'The Man' murders his brother, pumps heroin into local orphanages, and floods the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor, Black Dynamite is the one hero willing to fight all the way from the blood-soaked city streets to the hallowed halls of the Honky House." You owe it to yourself to see an amazing return to blaxploitation.
JBO: Joystiq Box Office, October 5 - October 9
by Kevin Kelly { Oct 9th 2009 at 9:30PM }
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
Recommendation of the Week:
Anvil: The Story of Anvil (DVD: $24.98 MSRP, cheaper at most retailers)
Just for the record, I'm not a fan of heavy metal. It's just never been my thing. But this documentary about a band you've never heard of just came out on DVD, and it's one of the most moving, amazing movies I've seen in a long time. You'll laugh, cry, play some air drums or guitar, and ultimately be won over. Steve "Lips" Kudlow channels more emotion in this movie than most actors ever do in their lives, and you'll understand why he's kept this failed band going for 30 years. By day he works at a depressing school catering job, and in his spare time he and longtime childhood friend (and drummer) Robb Reiner rock as heavy metal band Anvil. The film chronicles their history, a failed European tour, and what life is like for the flipside of Metallica or Slayer. Highly recommended.
As usual, we'll see you at the popcorn st -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
Recommendation of the Week:
Anvil: The Story of Anvil (DVD: $24.98 MSRP, cheaper at most retailers)Just for the record, I'm not a fan of heavy metal. It's just never been my thing. But this documentary about a band you've never heard of just came out on DVD, and it's one of the most moving, amazing movies I've seen in a long time. You'll laugh, cry, play some air drums or guitar, and ultimately be won over. Steve "Lips" Kudlow channels more emotion in this movie than most actors ever do in their lives, and you'll understand why he's kept this failed band going for 30 years. By day he works at a depressing school catering job, and in his spare time he and longtime childhood friend (and drummer) Robb Reiner rock as heavy metal band Anvil. The film chronicles their history, a failed European tour, and what life is like for the flipside of Metallica or Slayer. Highly recommended.
JBO: Joystiq Box Office, September 28 - October 2
by Kevin Kelly { Oct 2nd 2009 at 9:40PM }
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
Recommendation of the Week:
Jim Henson Double Feature: Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal (PlayStation 3 - Blu-ray disc, $27.95 MSRP per movie, cheaper at most retailers)
Both of these classic Jim Henson movies have been released on DVD before, but this is their first time to Blu-ray, and the first time they've looked so good. Whether it's a magical world full of Skeksis, Gelflings and ultra-powerful crystals, or a magical world full of David Bowie, Bogs of Eternal Stenches and Jennifer Connelly (hubba hubba), the imagination that Jim Henson put into his movies was amazing, especially in a day and age before CGI. One interesting note is that when the Jim Henson Company sold the Muppets to Disney, they retained the rights to Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, amongst other properties. They've been working on another Dark Crystal film, and I sure hope it comes to theaters one day.
As usual, we'll see you at the popcorn st -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
Recommendation of the Week:
Jim Henson Double Feature: Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal (PlayStation 3 - Blu-ray disc, $27.95 MSRP per movie, cheaper at most retailers)Both of these classic Jim Henson movies have been released on DVD before, but this is their first time to Blu-ray, and the first time they've looked so good. Whether it's a magical world full of Skeksis, Gelflings and ultra-powerful crystals, or a magical world full of David Bowie, Bogs of Eternal Stenches and Jennifer Connelly (hubba hubba), the imagination that Jim Henson put into his movies was amazing, especially in a day and age before CGI. One interesting note is that when the Jim Henson Company sold the Muppets to Disney, they retained the rights to Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, amongst other properties. They've been working on another Dark Crystal film, and I sure hope it comes to theaters one day.
JBO: Joystiq Box Office, September 22 - September 25
by Kevin Kelly { Sep 25th 2009 at 9:45PM } 
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
This week marks the start of Fantastic Fest at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX, where this writer will be embedded for the next week. It's a celebration of movies in the vein of geek: sci-fi, horror, anime, weird Asian cult movies and more. With that in mind, we're skewing this week's Joystiq Box Office towards the weird.
Recommendation of the Week:
Ong Bak 2 (Xbox Live Marketplace: 1200 ($15) HD, 800 ($10) SD to buy)
How do you train an orphan to survive? By kicking him into a murky pit full of alligators. If he can survive that, he'll have no problem with the rest of life. That's just the opening scene. The rest of the movie is full of martial arts action, including stunts involving herds of elephants. It's beautifully shot, full of action set in ancient Thailand and goes above and beyond your typical Hollywood fare. Directed, written and starring Tony Jaa, it confusingly has nothing to do with Ong Bak: Muy Thay Warrior. Too bad they didn't give it another name, but rest assured you don't need to see that movie to enjoy this one. In fact, only see that before this if you want to confuse yourself. It's a bit more expensive because it's exclusive online to the Xbox 360 and just hitting theaters as well.
Read for the full list on a system-by-system basis just after the break, where you'll also find a special trailer for Ong Bak 2 to help convince you that you need to give it a shot. As usual, we'll see you at the popcorn st -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
This week marks the start of Fantastic Fest at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX, where this writer will be embedded for the next week. It's a celebration of movies in the vein of geek: sci-fi, horror, anime, weird Asian cult movies and more. With that in mind, we're skewing this week's Joystiq Box Office towards the weird.
Recommendation of the Week:
Ong Bak 2 (Xbox Live Marketplace: 1200 ($15) HD, 800 ($10) SD to buy)How do you train an orphan to survive? By kicking him into a murky pit full of alligators. If he can survive that, he'll have no problem with the rest of life. That's just the opening scene. The rest of the movie is full of martial arts action, including stunts involving herds of elephants. It's beautifully shot, full of action set in ancient Thailand and goes above and beyond your typical Hollywood fare. Directed, written and starring Tony Jaa, it confusingly has nothing to do with Ong Bak: Muy Thay Warrior. Too bad they didn't give it another name, but rest assured you don't need to see that movie to enjoy this one. In fact, only see that before this if you want to confuse yourself. It's a bit more expensive because it's exclusive online to the Xbox 360 and just hitting theaters as well.
JBO: Joystiq Box Office, September 14 - September 18
by Kevin Kelly { Sep 18th 2009 at 8:30PM }
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
Recommendations of the Week:
O'Horten (DVD: $28.69 MSRP. Available at Amazon and on Netflix, available Tuesday)
This is one of the quirkiest and most charming films since Amelie. It's a surreal look inside the life of a solitary Norwegian train engineer on the eve of his retirement. He has no idea what he's going to do with his life, and over the course of a couple of days he has some very strange adventures. Seriously, on paper I would have found this movie boring. However, it's extremely moving and fun. Yes, you're going to have to read some subtitles, but look past that and give it a chance. Beautifully shot, and lead actor Bård Owe says more by saying nothing than most actors ever say at all.
Read for the full list on a system-by-system basis just after the break. As usual, we'll see you at the popcorn st -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
Recommendations of the Week:
O'Horten (DVD: $28.69 MSRP. Available at Amazon and on Netflix, available Tuesday)This is one of the quirkiest and most charming films since Amelie. It's a surreal look inside the life of a solitary Norwegian train engineer on the eve of his retirement. He has no idea what he's going to do with his life, and over the course of a couple of days he has some very strange adventures. Seriously, on paper I would have found this movie boring. However, it's extremely moving and fun. Yes, you're going to have to read some subtitles, but look past that and give it a chance. Beautifully shot, and lead actor Bård Owe says more by saying nothing than most actors ever say at all.
JBO: Joystiq Box Office, September 7 - September 11
by Kevin Kelly { Sep 11th 2009 at 9:30PM }
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
Recommendations of the Week:
Double Impact (Netflix Watch Instantly: Mac/PC or Xbox Live, subscription required: starts at $8.99 per month)
There's a flurry of chopsocky action newly available in the Blu-ray department just after the break, but we just had to show this Jean Claude Van Damme "classic" a little love. He plays twin brothers, separated at birth and reunited to kick some bad guy butt. One is raised in a life of entitlement, and the other lives on the underbelly of society, but when they're together ... it's pure early '90s movie cheese. The tagline along sums it up for you: "One packs a punch. One packs a piece. Together they deliver." But what exactly do they deliver? That question remains unanswered.
Read for the full list on a system-by-system basis just after the break. As usual, we'll see you at the popcorn st-- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
Recommendations of the Week:
Double Impact (Netflix Watch Instantly: Mac/PC or Xbox Live, subscription required: starts at $8.99 per month)There's a flurry of chopsocky action newly available in the Blu-ray department just after the break, but we just had to show this Jean Claude Van Damme "classic" a little love. He plays twin brothers, separated at birth and reunited to kick some bad guy butt. One is raised in a life of entitlement, and the other lives on the underbelly of society, but when they're together ... it's pure early '90s movie cheese. The tagline along sums it up for you: "One packs a punch. One packs a piece. Together they deliver." But what exactly do they deliver? That question remains unanswered.
_thumbnail.jpg "Lunar: Silver Star Harmony")
